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Harry Potter and the Ritual of Love's Memory | ||||||
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Category: Post-HBP Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 259 Summary: After the horcrux hunt implodes leaving most of those Harry loves dead, he starts a new life with a few fellow survivors far away from wizarding Britain. But the discovery of an ancient ritual that promises to send a single memory back in time sparks hope that maybe things can change. Dark ending to DH followed by a tweaked retelling of GoF through DH. Harry/Ginny. Friday updates. Original Timeline Voldemort's Victory - Chapter 1-5 (Feel free to skip if you don't like major character deaths) Tenochtitlán - Chapter 6-9 New Timeline Harry's 4th Year - Chapter 10-28 Harry's 5th Year - Chapter 29-68 Harry's 6th Year - Chapter 69-Current Hitcount: Story Total: 169580; Chapter Total: 1345 Awards: View Trophy Room |
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"Congratulations on your placement into Advanced Defense!" Professor Dumbledore's voice brimmed with pride and excitement as he, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flamel scanned the ten students assembled in the lounge above the Defense Chamber. Ginny was seated on the arm of Harry's chair, while Cho, Parvati, and Hermione squeezed onto a nearby couch. Ron was comfortably perched on the edge of a long table next to Padma. Blaise leaned against a bookshelf alongside Daphne and a Hufflepuff seventh year named Shannon. "Before we begin, may I remind you of the stipulation for which you undertake this course: in order to attend Advanced Defense, you have agreed to use what you learn in the service of others." Dumbledore surveyed the students. "Are you each still committed to upholding this requirement?" The nods and murmurs of acceptance from the students didn't surprise Harry. His gaze fell on Daphne, who gave him a tight-lipped smile and a small eye roll as Dumbledore continued. "I am quite pleased that so many of you proved capable of passing the entrance examination and encouraged that we have members of each of Hogwarts' four houses present. You represent the largest Advanced Defense course during my tenure as headmaster, quite possibly the largest in the history of our illustrious school. Judging by the number of your peers determined to earn their way into this class, many of whom came close to doing so, I daresay your numbers will expand soon." His bright blue eyes shifted around the room, a kind smile peeking out under his beard. Harry didn't doubt that Dumbledore was right. Two other seventh years had nearly completed the entrance exam gauntlet, with several more still hopeful that they might topple it by the end of the term. Ernie, Dean, and Susan had performed well enough to justify the idea that they might be able to get past the gauntlet by the spring term, while Seamus, Luna, and Neville seemed like they were still possibilities. "Instead of examinations with quill and ink and lengthy essays, your progress will be measured in the same manner as you gained entrance to the class. Professor Flitwick has agreed to fashion three gauntlets, their difficulty corresponding to an Acceptable, Exceeds Expectations, and Outstanding. At the end of each term, your grade will reflect which gauntlets you successfully complete." The prospect of a class not predicated on writing essays and sitting through arduous exams excited many of the students. Harry watched Ron breathe a large sigh of relief and squeeze Padma's hand. Even Hermione looked pleased to avoid incurring another heap of homework from the class. "This course will train you in a number of practical skills that may benefit you in future endeavors. Lessons will include learning to duel more proficiently from Professor Flitwick, wandless casting with Professor Flamel, identifying and neutralizing magical traps and snares with Professor Moody, and defending oneself from mental intrusion with Professor Snape. Professor McGonagall will lead instruction regarding the use of defensive transfiguration, which will be our focus today." Dumbledore inclined his head towards the deputy headmistress, who lacked her usual look of unwavering confidence. Harry thought she appeared slightly stiff as she nodded back, furtively glancing at Professor Flamel as Dumbledore continued. "For my part, I will be teaching several useful spells which can be used in exceptionally challenging circumstances. These are not the kinds of magic to be trifled with but could mean the difference between surviving an encounter or perishing. The spells you will be learning are not well known to the wider magical world, either because they require more power than most witches and wizards can muster or because they are of my own creation." Behind his glasses, Harry's eyes grew wide. The idea of casting spells wandlessly initially caught his attention, but Dumbledore's promise of learning magic that the headmaster had created himself sent excitement like an electric current through his body. If he really was going to have to face off against Voldemort someday, he would feel much more confident with spells crafted by Dumbledore in his back pocket. "Shall we adjourn to the Defense Chamber so that we may begin our lesson in earnest?" The professors led the way to the stone stairs, causing Harry to wince at the idea of Professor Flamel attempting to make her way down in her wheelchair. He hurried forward to catch their attention before they reached the topmost step. "Err… Professor Flamel?" started Harry sheepishly. "I think if I use Parseltongue, I can make the stairs turn back into a ramp. Would that be helpful?" "You know snakespeak?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Intriguing… I'm tempted to take you up on the offer solely from curiosity. But that won't be necessary." Her chair slowed to a stop on its own as it approached the stairs as she drew her wand and gave it a precise swish and flick without speaking a word. The wheels levitated several inches until she and her chair were floating gracefully above the ground. Harry felt slightly embarrassed and kicked himself mentally for forgetting that she had been present in the Defense Chamber for their preliminary runs through the gauntlet. Sensing his discomfort, she reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "I've long since learned to fend for myself, but it was kind of you to offer, nonetheless. I greatly value my self-reliance, but there are situations in which I appreciate assistance. You need not worry yourself over me; I am more than capable of managing most situations and well-practiced in requesting aid when necessary." She smiled at Harry kindly but with a touch of weariness, making Harry think she'd had this conversation with many other well-meaning people over her long life. Professor Flamel's chair hovered down the stairway with remarkable stability behind Professor Dumbledore as Harry walked alongside her. "Over the summer, Neville showed me something his grandfather invented that made a platform to transport him and his wheelchair up and down flights of stairs at their house. I think he said it was because levitating everywhere was pretty tricky." She let out a huff of a laugh. "Neville the Gryffindor in your Defense class? It was probably his great-grandfather, Ryol Longbottom. An intelligent man, but not particularly skilled with charms like levitation. It tracks that he'd use his mind to make up for not casting well. It's the same as anything else: if you've got a weakness or hindrance, oftentimes it can be shored up through the creative application of a strength." "Professor Moody gave me some advice along those lines a few years back," replied Harry, feeling a little less self-conscious. It occurred to him that Moody had certainly put the advice into practice by adding a magical eye to replace the regular one he'd lost. Once assembled in the chamber, McGonagall and Dumbledore strode to opposite sides of the room. Each stood beside a large pail filled with stones roughly the size of Harry's fist. Facing the headmaster and with another almost nervous glance at Professor Flamel, McGonagall addressed the onlookers. "As you have no doubt learned, Transfiguration can be used both offensively and defensively. Doing so requires sharp wits, quick reflexes, and a level of concentration that eludes many. But when used effectively, the results can be life-saving." Across from her, the headmaster drew his wand. With a swish and a flick, the stones levitated from their bucket and hovered at Dumbledore's side before he called out, "Shall we commence the demonstration?" She gave him a quick nod in reply. In an instant, the rocks hurtled toward McGonagall with breathtaking speed. At least two students cried out in alarm as the projectiles rocketed at her, but she did not flinch in the slightest. With a wave of her wand, the stones transformed into straw just before reaching her and fell to the ground harmlessly. Harry had witnessed Dumbledore perform a similar feat in his duel against Voldemort at the Ministry, but that did not prevent him from applauding appreciatively with the other students at her display. "You see, transfiguration can be exceptionally useful," McGonagall said with the beginnings of a smirk while returning to the group. "If you hope to achieve these kinds of results, I expect you each to be all the more diligent in my class." She noticed the urgent look in Hermione's eye and called on her for a question. "You turned the stones into straw, but last term, when we saw Professor Dumbledore use that technique at the ministry, he transfigured the projectiles into butterflies. Are there benefits to changing our targets into something in particular?" "The most important factor is successfully managing to transfigure whatever is aimed at you. Professor Dumbledore has been known for having, shall we say, a flair for the dramatic," she replied, glancing at the headmaster as he chuckled while approaching. "When you possess his level of power, experience, and technique, feel free to transfigure incoming projectiles into any form you believe most prudent. For our purposes today, however, let us stick to straw." "I must warn you that transfiguring an object careening at your person is much more challenging than doing so to something safely sitting on your desk. In order to keep us well within Madam Pomfrey's good graces, we will be providing you with something a good deal less damaging than stones to fling at one another," added Dumbledore brightly. Harry thought the older man looked rather pleased with himself after Hermione's recollection of his butterflies. "You may each take a pail of bean bags and find a partner or trio. Professor McGonagall, Professor Flamel, and I will observe and offer suggestions, but oftentimes trial and error can be the most effective teacher. Let us begin!" The headmaster certainly hadn't been overstating the difficulty of transfiguration on flying objects. Professor McGonagall had made it look simple, but after the third time his girlfriend's beanbag collided with him, Harry concluded that he still had a lot of work to do. A loud swear from Ron and a hurried apology from Padma indicated that he wasn't alone in his struggles. He fell to his knees in pain, giving the others an idea of just where he'd be struck by the errant projectile. Harry winced and let out a hiss of sympathy. When Harry and Ginny began getting the hang of turning a single thrown beanbag into straw, McGonagall gave them a few pointers about their form and had them start working on two at a time. By the end of their allotted time, the entire group was sore and worn out from exertion. Still, their chatter as they ascended the stairs was filled with excitement about what future lessons would cover. Daphne, Padma, Parvati, and Shannon followed the professors out of the student lounge and back into the corridors, but Harry and the other Defense Club leaders hung back. After gingerly seating themselves following the grueling lesson and a long trudge back up the stairs, each of the six all but melted into the soft cushions of the lounge chairs and couches. They reveled in being off their feet for a minute before starting their meeting in earnest. "So, Blaise," began Harry, looking at the Slytherin rubbing a sore spot on his elbow. "Was that what you were expecting?" He responded with a rueful chuckle. "I didn't really have a picture in my head of what it'd be like, but it was challenging and seems useful. That's what I was hoping for, at least." "That's a good description of how things went last term," replied Cho with a smile. "Super tough magic and physical exertion that ends up feeling really important once you figure it out." Ginny nodded along with a grin. "Dueling days are usually more fun than stuff like this, at least for me. We get split up into teams and put what we've learned to use. Nothing like the chance to put a friend flat on their arse!" "Considering the skill level involved just now, is it fair to guess that most of what they go over for these lessons doesn't make it into Defense Club?" asked Blaise. "That's mostly true, but there are exceptions," hedged Hermione thoughtfully. "For example, we started working on the Patronus Charm with Professor Flitwick near the beginning of last school year. We knew it was helpful in defending against dementors and could be used for communication, so we all decided it was worth going over with the group. Even though not everyone got it like you did, just getting mist is better than nothing." "Fair enough," he replied, an easy smile on his lips. "With all the dementor attacks that have been reported, I'm glad you lot made the charm a priority." Ron leaned forward at the mention of dementors. "That's something I've been thinking about. I'm glad we were able to help everyone feel more confident that they can defend themselves from dementors, but there have been lots of other attacks we could prepare for. Other than the patronus, we focused mostly on spells that'd help in a duel last year. It might be worth it to consider training in case of inferi or giants since they've been involved in so many attacks over the summer." The idea struck Harry at once. In truth, he wasn't sure what to do if faced with inferi. His only experience with giants was his friendship with Hagrid, but he imagined that full-blooded giants might do him more harm than introducing him to various dangerous creatures and offering nearly inedible rock cakes. "That would require some research, but it could be really useful," agreed Hermione, scribbling notes on a parchment. "I'll ask Flit about it," added Cho. "He probably has plenty of ideas on where to start looking and could point us in the right direction for other professors to seek out. Are we just thinking inferi and giants?" Harry heaved a sigh of frustration. "It'd probably be worth it to consider how to fend off werewolves. Remus… Err… I mean Professor Lupin has been working to try to keep them from joining with Voldemort, but he says there are more than a few who've joined that side." Ginny squeezed Harry's hand encouragingly. "It wouldn't hurt to go over trolls, too. Last week, the Prophet said three attacked a village in Scotland." "Speaking of, is there any truth to the rumor you three were involved with the troll from back in first year?" asked Blaise, his eyes darting from Harry to Ron, then landing on Hermione. She laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Trouble has always seemed to find us," she admitted. "It came after me while I was in the loo, but they saw it go in. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and then Ron bashed it over the head with its own club." Blaise let out a low whistle and swore to himself. "I'm not sure if I should feel nervous about hanging around with you lot or glad to be surrounded by people who can get out of a scrape." "Might want to go with a little bit of both," replied Ginny with a smirk. As the conversation shifted to the logistics of the new term's Defense Club, Hermione took the lead in going over various tasks and responsibilities. It took a while to finish hammering out details about when the first meeting would be and which of them would help lead different groups. Having four sixth year leaders and none from the fourth year created challenges. Eventually, the group leaders were shuffled around to address the large number of younger students they expected to sign up. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Blaise would split duties in leading their year and would each help out with a different group, too. Ron would now help Cho manage the seventh years so that Hermione would be freed to head up the fourth years with Blaise, who seemed pleased with the assignment. Harry's role alongside Ginny and her year would remain the same. It wasn't a perfect solution, but everyone agreed that it should work out just fine. When the group began to disperse, Blaise caught Harry's eye and motioned for him to step to the side. Ginny remained on a couch nearby as the others headed back to their common rooms while Harry walked to a quiet corner of the student lounge. "Our friend Draco has been extra agitated lately," Blaise intoned quietly. "He usually blusters around like he owns the place, but something feels different now. With daddy in prison, I think he's more likely to do something reckless." Harry nodded solemnly. "Good to know. Anything you need from me? It can't be fun to be in the same dorm as him, especially after you ended up with his prefect spot." "I'm not worried. Theo and I watch each other's backs and I've got friends who keep an eye out and an ear to the ground for any rumblings. Wouldn't put it past him to try something when he realizes that his influence in Slytherin isn't as strong as he'd like to think it is, but I'd wager he'd sooner try to settle the score with you than me." "Even once he realizes you're helping lead the Defense Club with us?" Blaise scoffed and rolled his eyes before doing an uncanny impersonation of Malfoy's disgusted drawl. "Mark my words: Potter is going to get what's coming to him!" Harry laughed ruefully as Blaise shrugged. "He's not a fan of me, but he hates you. Besmirching the Malfoy name, freeing his family house-elf, embarrassing him at quidditch, escaping the Dark Lord, getting daddy arrested… Honestly, it's like you're not even trying to get on his good side." "Fair enough. Thanks for the warning." "Not a problem. Oh, and look out for Sasha among the fifth years. She's on the quieter side, but she's a good kid. I think I've got her convinced to try coming to the first meeting, but an extra welcome might help her out a bit." Harry smiled. "Absolutely. I'm sure Ginny and I can help make that happen." ~RLM~ As Harry flew through the hot afternoon air, it occurred to him that he'd never been part of a quidditch tryout before. Professor McGonagall had foisted him upon Oliver Wood during his first year following his initial flying lesson, which seemed fairly irresponsible in retrospect. The team remained the same during his second and third years, followed by the canceled season during the Triwizard Tournament. Then he'd been cooped up in Professor Umbridge's office for detention during the previous year's tryouts when Ron and Ginny made the team. Despite Harry's lack of experience in such situations, even a muggle-born who had never heard of quidditch would have been capable of noticing the lack of cohesion amongst the Gryffindor hopefuls. Katie Bell was a fantastic Chaser and an all-around excellent flier. Unfortunately, she lacked much of the fiery, nearly maniacal fervor that Wood and Angelina Johnson had possessed. Her demeanor was much more friendly and kind; fine qualities in human beings more generally, but challenging for a team captain. For starters, Katie wasn't loud. A whole gaggle of students wanted to try out for the team, but Harry thought quite a few had little to no experience riding a broom. It took a few minutes of confusion and chaos before Ginny had the idea to cast a sonorus charm on the captain, magnifying her voice enough to ensure instructions could be heard. Katie looked almost as forlorn as some of the two dozen students she dismissed after having everyone do a lap around the pitch. The remaining hopefuls broke up into groups based on their preferred positions. Harry wound up with five younger students who seemed more excited about flying with him than they were about the sport. He glanced over his shoulder at Ginny, who was already displaying a remarkable rapport with Demelza as they passed the quaffle back and forth. Harry spent twenty minutes flinging golf balls from a pail in every direction. At first, each student was tasked with simply catching the ball before it reached the ground. Four of them performed the task well enough, but Harry dismissed a third year after he missed more than he caught. Next, he paired the remaining flyers up to compete against each other. After several rounds of this, he informed the two who snagged the fewest that they would have to wait to try again the following year. With his shoulder and elbow sore from throwing golf balls without ceasing for nearly an hour, Harry called a flustered-looking Katie over. She left Ginny in charge of running the remaining Chaser options through their paces to speak with the two potential reserve seekers. "Alright, Katie! These performed the best out of the lot," explained Harry, smiling encouragingly at the two of them. "Julia is a third year and Rosten's in second. Both look to have some real potential. How do you want to do this?" The captain didn't look thrilled about having to decide between them. Her original idea had been to have Ginny serve as backup Seeker but had quickly revised the plan after seeing how many hopefuls had come out for both offensive positions. "Do we have a real snitch we could have them go after?" she asked. Harry shook his head and tossed her one of the golf balls. "Alright, I guess we'll just go with these. Best out of five, you think?" "That'd work. You might have to be the one to do the tossing, though. My arm is just about to fall off…" Katie may not have had all the demonstrative leadership qualities of Angelina or Oliver, but Harry thought her arm strength was just about on par with them. Her first throw sailed beyond the reach of either Seeker. She pulled back enough to give them a chance on the following throws, with both reeling in two apiece. For the tie-breaker, Katie wound up as if she were going to rocket the golf ball in one direction before wheeling around to throw it behind them. Julia's sharp reflexes allowed her to whip around just fast enough to gain the advantage, swooping in to snag the ball before it could make contact with the grass. Harry assured Rosten that he'd have opportunities in the future, especially since the starting spot would be open soon. The second year was still dejected but looked determined to keep improving for the next time around. When they returned to the rest of the team, Ginny had narrowed the field of possible reserves for her position as well, with a wiry third year named Samuel Puentes excitedly passing back and forth with Demelza. Ritchie Coote had impressed as a potential future Beater, which left Keeper as the only position without a backup. Katie's fellow seventh year, Cormac McLaggen, had apparently pushed to have a shot at the starting Keeper job, but even Katie's kindness could only extend so far. She bluntly told him that Frobisher could handle backing up Ron and that his services were not needed, which led to a good deal of blustering from McLaggen and much relief from the rest of the team. Harry was certainly glad not to deal with his overinflated ego. Looking at the team of assembled Gryffindors, Harry didn't feel as confident as he had at the start of their previous two seasons. Still, he thought they might be good enough to contend for the cup as long as they could find a little luck along the way. |
| Reviews 259 |
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